DE102009031321A1 - Method and system for determining traffic information - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining) as well as a traffic information system for carrying out the method. The road network (S) is at least partially covered by a cellular radio network (F) with a plurality of radio cells (n-1, n, n + 1). Radio devices (G) carried in vehicles (F) exchange radio signals via a radio channel with one of the radio base stations (B, B, B) currently being used by a vehicle (F). Movement data of this vehicle (F) are obtained from the radio signals of a radio (G) carried in a vehicle (F). From acquired motion data of a plurality of vehicles (F), the traffic information is determined. According to the invention, a sample fleet of vehicles (F) is formed, in which a radio module (10) is carried, which receives radio signals from a radio device (G) also carried in the vehicle (F). The radio channel used by the radio (G) is monitored by the radio module (10), whereby a change of the radio cell (n-1, n, n + 1) traveled by the vehicle (F) is detected. As movement data (H, H) of a vehicle (F) whose completed radio cell changes are charged. As a result, an existing cellular radio network can be used for traffic information purposes without interfering with the infrastructure facilities of the radio network.

Description

The The invention relates to a method for determining traffic information according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a traffic information system to carry out the method according to claim 11th

It is known traffic information for a road network from traffic data of roadside arranged measuring cross sections to win. A measuring cross section can be detected by a traffic detector - for example by induction loops, radar sensors, infrared sensors or Video cameras - the time-related counts, Occupancy levels, traffic volumes, speeds and Like the passing of the measuring cross section vehicle current supplies. This approach requires a high infrastructural Expenses for installation, operation and maintenance.

Furthermore, it is also known to record so-called "floating car data" as traffic data, which is based on an exchange of information between vehicles traveling in flowing traffic and a traffic control center. Here it is assumed that vehicles participating in the traffic data collection are equipped with facilities for continuously determining their position and thus their speed, as well as for the wireless transmission of the position and speed data to the traffic control center. Traffic information systems based on this approach are, for example, the patent applications EP 1 209 647 A1 or US 2003/0009277 A1 known. This approach requires extensive equipment of vehicles with positioning modules and causes considerable communication costs due to the frequent data transmission to the traffic control center.

It is also known to determine movement data from radio signals of mobile devices of the end users of a cellular mobile network and to process traffic information. For this purpose, the patent discloses EP 1 437 013 B1 a system and method for providing traffic information, in particular for determining traffic speeds on traffic routes, wherein location information from a mobile radio network and electronic maps are used to measure travel time between two geographical locations. In this case, the traffic information system queries operating data from the infrastructure of the mobile radio network, namely via connections to the data lines between the radio base station and its control device of each radio cell and / or between these control devices and their exchanges. As operating data cell handover and registration messages are polled by mobile devices in certain time intervals and combined by matching with the electronic card, which assigns radio cells and traffic routes to each other, to transaction data of the mobile devices. From the movement data speeds of vehicles are calculated and determined by comparison with predetermined speed limits the traffic condition.

adversely the last mentioned method is that the operating data of the Radio signals by the radio network operator via connections to the radio network infrastructure. On the one hand special probing cards needed to use the usable Gain information, depending on requirements in base stations, in their control units or in the exchanges to install. On the other hand, movement data be won by mobile devices only when they are ready to call or are turned on and the data inferred to two successive cell changes of the same radio allow. All these requirements limit the amount usable traffic data and reduce the traffic data quality.

Of the Invention is based on the object, a method and system for To provide traffic information of the aforementioned types, which use an existing cellular radio network without to intervene in the infrastructure facilities of the radio network.

The object related to the method is achieved by a generic method for determining traffic information in a road network, having the features specified in the characterizing part of patent claim 1. A sample fleet of vehicles, which move in the traffic streams of the present road network, is formed by the fact that in these vehicles each a radio module is carried, which receives radio signals from a also entrained in the vehicle radio. As a result, the radio module receives radio signals which are exchanged between the radio and the base radio station of the radio cell currently being used, without the infrastructure of the radio network having to be contacted by connections and without this infrastructure having to be specially adapted or equipped. The radio channel used by the radio is monitored by the radio module, thereby detecting a change in the radio cell traveled by the vehicle. As movement data of a vehicle whose radio cell change are charged. From the obtained movement data of a plurality of vehicles, a traffic control center determines the traffic information. Advantageously, thereby traffic information without interference with the infrastructure facilities of the cellulä radio network and can be won by data transmission by the wireless operator without special assistance. As a result, a certain independence of wireless network operators is achieved.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention Procedure are the movement data of a vehicle in the radio module stored and / or transmitted to a traffic computer. The obtained movement data of the vehicles of the sample fleet For example, be cached in the radio module, then to Connection to the traffic computer centrally passed to this to become.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention Method, the motion data from the wireless module to the traffic computer wirelessly transmitted. This can happen while driving a vehicle pre-defined time intervals or collected at the end one day or a ride. This can be beneficial to the wireless network used, over which also carried Radio devices communicate.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention Method include the movement data of a vehicle at a Radio cell change a radio identification date of Radio carried by the vehicle and / or a radio cell identification date of the radio cell from which the vehicle is extended, and / or a radio cell identification date of Radio cell into which the vehicle has entered and / or a time date which determines the time of the radio cell change, and / or a Location Date, which is the geographic location of the radio cell change indicates. About this movement data can vehicles over their carried radio, for example a Mobile phone, temporally and locally in by radio cells covered road network. The movement data The sampling fleet vehicles represent in the Road network prevailing traffic flow.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention Procedure is in the wireless module, a motion data from the movement data of a Vehicle formed two consecutive radio cell change. about the radio identification date can be pairs be formed by radio cell changes, a retraction into a Radio cell and the subsequent extension from this radio cell one and the same vehicle. These movement records provide the basic information for the recovery of recoverable Traffic data in the road network. Without additional location information from satellite-based positioning systems these cell-granular basic information is the most accurate location data.

Preferably becomes a motion record before transmission to the traffic computer anonymized with regard to the radio identification data. Since it in the inventive method the identification of a vehicle with regard to the registration plate, the vehicle owner or the person guiding the vehicle is as important as the identification of the radio or the user of the radio, the movement data or the movement data sets, for example by assigning a temporary Identification number anonymized before they get to the traffic computer. This is contrary to data protection concerns of the process resigned. It only depends on the recognizability of one a cell boundary detected object "vehicle" at passage the next cell boundary.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention Method be radio cells of the radio network by means of an electronic Map showing the topologies of the road network and the cellular radio network correlates, sections of the Road network assigned. This becomes the radio cell structure on the road network by assignment of roads mapped to radio cells. The cell borders divide the road network into Track sections per radio cell, wherein in a radio cell several, can occur with partly common stretches.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention Method becomes from the time data of a motion data set a Travel time of the vehicle for one of the radio cell assigned Track section determined. The travel time of a vehicle for a section of track results simply from the difference of Time points at which the vehicle first in a the route section the assigned radio cell enters and then exits again.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention Procedure is based on the length of the section and needed by the vehicle for the section Travel time a speed of the vehicle on this section of the route determined. This is calculated by dividing the route length a section of track by the purpose of a vehicle required travel time.

In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, an average speed for this route section is calculated from the determined speeds for a plurality of vehicles. From a sufficient number of single determinations of speeds on a stretch, averaging can produce an average Ge speed. This can be timely and parallel for all sections of the road network, so that on the speed information of the traffic condition in the road network is derivable.

The System related object is solved by a traffic information system for carrying out the inventive Procedure, with a variety of vehicles in a sample fleet radio modules to be carried, which are designed to Radio signals from a likewise carried in the vehicle To receive the radio used by the radio Radio channel to monitor and thereby a change of the Vehicle to detect radio cell, and with a traffic computer, which is adapted to be transmitted by radio modules of the vehicles To receive movement data of completed cell changes and to determine traffic information from it.

Further Advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from a Embodiment, which below with reference to the drawings is described in more detail in whose

1 an inventive traffic information system,

2 a radio module carried in a vehicle,

3 a line of a road network, are illustrated schematically.

The system according to the invention for the determination of traffic information for a road network S requires a cellular radio network F, such as a GSM mobile radio network, which according to 1 a plurality of contiguous, partially overlapping radio cells ni, n, n + i. Each radio cell ni, n, n + i is defined by a respective radio base station B _n-1 , B _n , B _{n + 1} whose radio range determines the area coverage of the radio cell n-1, n, n + 1. An end user of the radio network F carries a radio G _i , for example a mobile telephone which exchanges radio signals over a radio channel with a radio base station B _n-1 , B _n , B _{n + 1} . The radio communication takes place as a function of the location of the radio G _i within the radio network F via the respectively most powerful radio channel. The radio signals each contain an identification data ID _n-1 , ID _n , ID _{n + 1 of} the currently used radio cell n-1, n, n + 1 or an identification data ID _{i of} the used radio G _i . The invention assumes that _i radios G _i are carried in a plurality of traveling vehicles in the road network S F.

According to the invention, a sample fleet of vehicles F _i with radio modules is now 10 fitted. The larger the sample fleet, the better the quality of traffic information. A radio module carried in the vehicle F _i 10 now receives radio signals which are exchanged between a radio G _i also carried in this vehicle F _i and the radio base station B _n-1 , B _n , B _{n + 1} . Crucial for the present invention are now the change of radio cells n-1, n, n + 1 while driving a vehicle F _{i of} the sample fleet. The radio module 10 recorded as movement data H ⁱ _n-1, this vehicle F _{i n} n the identification data ID _i of the radio G _i, the identification data ID _n-1 of the abandoned radio cell n-1, the identification data when crossing the boundary between radio cell n-1 and radio cell ID _{n of} the newly used radio cell n and a time date which indicates the time of the cell change. Corresponding movement data H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} are detected at the next change of the vehicle F _i from radio cell n to radio cell n + 1. The radio module 10 monitors and registers the successive changes in the radio cells n-1, n, n + 1 traveled by the vehicle F _i . Detects the radio module 10 two consecutive cell changes of one and the same vehicle F _i or radio G _i , a motion data set (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) is formed from the associated motion data and wirelessly - about the radio network F - to a traffic computer 20 sent. The traffic computer 20 may be located in a traffic information or traffic management center.

According to 2 includes a radio module 10 a receiving / transmitting unit 11 as a radio interface to the cellular radio network F to the radio channel of the current radio base station B _n-1, B _n, B _{n + i} to monitor and obtain the identification data ID _n-1, ID _n, ID _{n + 1} of the strongest radio channel. When the radio channel changes, the corresponding movement data H ⁱ _{n-1, n} or H ⁱ _{n, n + 1,} which may also have a current geographic location data, are recorded or sent to the traffic computer 20 transfer. During initialization of the radio module 10 it starts synchronization with the nearest radio base station B _n-1, B _n, B _{n + 1st} A processing unit 12 selects from the large amount of recorded data the movement data H ⁱ _{n-1, n} or H ⁱ _{n, n + 1 associated with} the cell changes. Once selected, they undergo an anonymisation process to protect end-user privacy by issuing a temporary identification number. A control unit 13 controls the actions of the radio module 10 , for example by specifying a data transmission period, by parameter information, etc. An evaluation unit 14 evaluates the detected motion data H ⁱ _{n-1, n} or H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} and composes the motion data sets (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ). These are for example by short message (SMS) via the radio network F to the traffic computer 20 transfer.

• – ID_i das Identifikationsdatum des im Fahrzeug F_i mitgeführten Funkgeräts G_i,
• – ID_k das Identifikationsdatum der Funkzelle k, aus der das Fahrzeug F_i ausfährt,
• – ID₁ das Identifikationsdatum der Funkzelle l, in die das Fahrzeug F_i einfährt, und
• – t_k1 das Zeitdatum, das den Zeitpunkt des Zellenwechsels angibt,

bedeuten.The data structure of the movement data H ⁱ _{kl of} each detected cell change can be represented by a four-tuple H ^l _kl = (ID _i , ID _k , ID _l , t _kl ) be described, wherein

• - ID _i the identification data of the in-car radio F _i G _i,
• ID _{k is} the identification date of the radio cell k, from which the vehicle F _i extends,
• - ID _1, the identification date of the radio cell l, in which the vehicle F _i retracts, and
• T _k1 the time date which indicates the time of the cell change,

mean.

The traffic computer 20 The vehicle F _i can follow in the radio network F on the basis of the movement data sets (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ). The obtained motion data sets (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) are then correlated with a road map with radio network topology and assigned to sections s _n-1 , s _n , s _{n + 1} . According to 3 there are three contiguous cell change sections n-1, n, n + 1 with lengths l, l _n , l _{n + i} . You get after detection of a cell change from the radio module 10 the motion data set (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) with t _{n, n + 1} > t _{n-1, n} , one can simply calculate the speed of the vehicle F _i on the section n: v _n = l _n / (t _{n, n + 1} - t _{n-1, n)}

After enough motion data sets (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) have been determined during a predetermined period of time, an average speed in the relevant track section s _n can be calculated. The average speeds on other sections can be calculated in parallel.

In summary, the problem underlying the invention by a special radio module 10 solved. The radio module 10 is a small device for monitoring radio channel changes. If the radio channel changes, this means that a radio cell change has taken place. The radio module 10 accepts the bills of exchange and reports pairs of movement data belonging to each other to the traffic computer 20 , Will the radio module 10 switched on, this situation is comparable to that of an ongoing radio communication. Therefore, the usable movement data are only by the number of radio modules 10 certainly. The ones from the radio modules 10 determined movement data can be sent by means of a GSM radio network to the traffic computer 20 be transmitted in order to offer traffic information services. The movement data of the end users in the cellular radio network therefore do not have to be determined by the radio network operator.

The proposed traffic information system can be used to determine Motion information of end users of cellular radio networks used to process traffic information. By appropriate placement of radio modules, the data quantity and quality are guaranteed. By suitable calculation and control methods will only be those actually needed Transferring data to the traffic computer, what the communication costs can significantly reduce.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• - EP 1209647 A1 [0003]
• US 2003/0009277 A1 [0003]
• - EP 1437013 B1 [0004]

Claims (11)

Method for determining traffic information in a road network (S), - wherein the road network (S) is at least partially covered by a cellular radio network (F) having a plurality of radio cells (n-1, n, n + 1), - in Vehicles (F _i ) entrained radios (G _i ) radio signals via a radio channel with one of the current each of a vehicle (F _i ) traveled radio cell (ni, n, n + 1) associated radio base station (B _n-1 , B _n , B _{n + 1} ), - wherein from the radio signals of a vehicle (F _i ) entrained radio (G _i ) motion data of this vehicle (F _i ) are obtained, - and wherein from the obtained motion data of a plurality of vehicles (F _i ) the traffic information is determined, characterized in that - a sampling fleet of vehicles (F _i ) is formed in which a radio module ( 10 ), which receives radio signals from a radio device (G _i ) also carried in the vehicle (F _i ), - that the radio channel used by the radio device (G _i ) is transmitted by the radio module ( 10 ) and thus a change of the vehicle (F _i ) traveled radio cell (ni, n, n + i) is detected, - and that as movement data (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} , H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) of a Vehicle (F _i ) whose completed radio cell changes are charged. Method according to claim 1, wherein the movement data (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} , H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) of a vehicle (F _i ) in the radio module ( 10 ) and / or to a traffic computer ( 20 ) be transmitted. Method according to Claim 2, in which the movement data (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} , H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) from the radio module ( 10 ) to the traffic computer ( 20 ) are transmitted wirelessly. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movement data (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} , H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) of a vehicle (F _i ) at a radio cell change - a radio-identification date (ID _i ) of the vehicle (F _i ) entrained radio (G _i ) and / or - a radio cell identification data (ID _n-1 or ID _n ) of the radio cell (n-1 or n) from which the vehicle (F _i ) is extended, and / or - a radio cell identification data (ID _n or ID _{n + 1} ) of the radio cell (n or n + 1) into which the vehicle (F _i ) has entered, and / or - a time data (t _{n- 1, n} or t _{n, n + 1} ), which determines the time of the radio cell change, and / or - a location data, which indicates the geographical position of the radio cell change. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the radio module ( 10 ) a movement data set (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) from the movement data (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} , H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) of a vehicle (F _i ) of two consecutive radio cell change is formed. Method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a movement data record (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) is transmitted to the traffic computer ( 20 ) is anonymized with respect to the radio identification data (ID _i ). Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein radio cells (n-1, n, n + 1) of the radio network (F) by means of an electronic map, which correlates the topologies of the road network (S) and the cellular radio network (F), link sections (s _n-1 , s _n , s _{n + 1} ) of the road network (S) are assigned. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein from the time data (t _{n-1, n} , t _{n, n + 1} ) of a motion data set (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} / H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) a travel time ( t _n ) of the vehicle (F _i ) for one of the radio cell (s) associated track section (s _n ) is determined. A method according to claim 8, wherein from the length (l _n ) of the link (s _n ) and the travel time (t _n ) required by the vehicle (F _i ) for the link (s _n ), a speed (v _n ) of the vehicle (F _i ) is determined on this section (s _n ). Method according to Claim 9, wherein an average speed for this route section (s _n ) is calculated from the determined speeds (v _n ) for a multiplicity of vehicles (F _i ). Traffic information system for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 10, - having a plurality of radio modules to be carried in vehicles (F _i ) of a sampling fleet ( 10 ), which are adapted to receive radio signals from a likewise in the vehicle (F _i ) entrained radio (G _i ) to monitor the radio (G _i ) used radio channel and thereby a change of the vehicle (F _i ) traveled Radio cell (n-1, n, n + 1), - and with a traffic computer ( 20 ), which is adapted from radio modules ( 10 ) of the vehicles (F _i ) to receive transmitted motion data (H ⁱ _{n-1, n} , H ⁱ _{n, n + 1} ) of completed cell changes and to determine therefrom traffic information.

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